faulty breaker?

VAXMaster

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7:24a, 12/21/24

AG

Bottom line: what steps would you take before replacing a breaker?

Background: this morning the beaker that services our den outlets and back porch outlets plus porch lights was tripped when we got up. It has the tv on it so I know it tripped after we went to bed. I reset it and everything worked normally for about an hour then tripped again. I unplugged everything except the wall mounted tv, ensured all the light switches were off, and put an ohm meter on an outlet. Reading 68 kohm from hot to neutral. That seems reasonable for the tv power supply so I then tried to reset the breaker and it tripped immediately (refuses to latch).

What would you do to troubleshoot from here?

BenTheGoodAg

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7:33a, 12/21/24

AG

If you just want to test if it's the breaker, it's very easy to take the hot conductor from that breaker and test the circuit on the breaker above it or below it. Since nothing else changed, and based on your description of the trip characteristics, it's not a bad place to start (and probably what I would do).

Honestly, 15A and 20A load breakers are so inexpensive, it's not a bad idea to keep a few extras on hand, unless you have an AFCI or GFCI. I guess that's the first question we should be asking - normal circuit or AFCI/GFCI? They would be a little more involved to test.

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VAXMaster

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In reply to BenTheGoodAg • 7:44a, 12/21/24

AG

I believe it is AFCI, Square D with a white test button.

BenTheGoodAg

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9:04a, 12/21/24

AG

Yep. Arc Fault. Those have a test function you can try and it should tell you which element is tripping it. Hold down the "Test" button, and switch the breaker back on. If immediately trips, it's detecting a ground fault. If trips after 2 seconds, it's the arc fault element. If 5 seconds, it's the thermal overload. Theoretically.

It still could be a bad breaker (or just the crappy AFCI) and you can still swap the hot conductor with the breaker below. These have a "plug in neutral" feature, so no need to manage the neutral conductor.

Screw the AFCI breakers....

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VAXMaster

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9:29a, 12/21/24

AG

Thanks, I tried the test feature, it tripped immediately. Then I pulled both the hot and neutral, turned it on and it held. Next I pulled the breaker, it is a plug on neutral, (about half the AFCI breakers in the panel clip onto the neutral and about half are wired to neutral) inspected - no fried lizards or anything unusual. I put everything back together and it is now holding, I'm about 30 minutes in with the tv and one lamp on, everything else unplugged for now.

UnderoosAg

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In reply to BenTheGoodAg • 4:58p, 12/21/24

AG

BenTheGoodAg said:

Screw the AFCI breakers....

Preach

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Dr. Venkman

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In reply to BenTheGoodAg • 1:45p, 12/23/24

AG

Quote:
Screw the AFCI breakers....

Mine actually caught arcing in a switch box.

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TexAg1987

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In reply to Dr. Venkman • 12:55p, 1/2/25

Dr. Venkman said:

Quote:
Screw the AFCI breakers....
Mine actually caught arcing in a switch box.

Probably an overload in the containment unit.